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Fair Maps Texas Weekly Action (12-04-18) *Protect Communities of Interest of All Kinds
This week's call to action: Tell your state reps and senators that you're tired of your community being fractured into multiple districts that suit their needs and not the people's. We want the Legislature to pass legislation creating new criteria that would prioritize keeping our communities together.
Ever wonder why your neighbor down the street is in a different district than you, but your friend that lives in a different city is in the same one? This is an example of how your elected officials use partisan gerrymandering to choose their voters.
The way the district boundaries are drawn determines how your community is represented, which other communities are included in your district and, ultimately, who will be elected to represent you. Decisions are then made by those elected leaders that affect what kind of air you breathe, the water you drink, the quality of your child's school, and how much you're going to pay in taxes.
We want a government that works for the people. District maps should provide our communities of interest a voice in the political process.
Suggested Script: [Please report any comments or questions to our website through the form on the right->]
"Hi, My name is _____, and I'm calling to ask Rep/Sen _____ to support legislation that would prevent our communities from being fractured during the redistricting process. Our districts should not span hundreds of miles while excluding our neighbor down the street. Partisan gerrymandering has dampened the ability of our communities to advocate for shared needs, and, as a result, threatens the well-being of the people that live there. It has robbed our neighbors of the ability to work together in the political process. Good government needs all of us. We want to make sure that our community is fairly represented. And that is why I am asking that Rep/Sen_____ join me and Fair Maps Texas in supporting legislation that would protect communities of interest of all kinds in the redistricting process."
Fair Maps Texas believes that there is a much better way to draw districts that would make the process more fair and our maps more reflective of our communities. We believe that:
-partisan data should not be permitted when drawing our election maps;
-our districts should be compact and not skip neighboring communities for more distant ones;
-cities, counties, and school districts should not be split unless absolutely necessary;
-districts should be drawn solely on input from the community and not elected officials.